I love to sew, mainly quilts and bags. I am 63, married to Fred and have one son, Matthew who is 24. I enjoy embroidery and applique and prefer to machine piece and quilt my projects. I love my vintage Singer sewing machines especially my Featherweight 222K. I've recently started collecting Miniature Sewing Machines, three Essex and one Singer 20 and a Vulcan Countess. My love of sewing I believe comes from my Grandmother - I still have the drawings she made for me to embroider on tea towels many many years ago!

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Wednesday, 3 July 2013

AIMING FOR ACCURACY.... ON MY SINGER 201K ....

I'm sewing along with the Quilting Gallery "Aiming for Accuracy" quilt-along. As I hadn't used my lovely old Singer for some time, I thought this project was just what I needed to get the oil out and get sewing! I've given the machine a nice clean and oil, changed the needle and wound up some bobbins - as I'm using Gutermann cotton thread, I decided to use up some of those reels of thread that we all seem to accumulate..... you know the ones! strange colours (what DID I buy that for?) only half a spool left, never going to use that colour again..... so I'm winding up my bobbins to use it all up!! It doesn't worry me to use weird colours for piecing especially in this project as my fabrics are both dark and bright!

Block # 1 is a nine patch using 8 sets of HST's (two fabrics only) and one centre square of the contrast fabric. I did a test block to work out my seam allowance. I have the original seam guide for the Singer so I'm using that - it just means that I have to pin with the pin head on my left and the point of the pin just touching the outside edge of the fabric. I'm sewing with a scant 1/4" seam and my block has finished spot on! exactly 15-1/2" pieced and then I've added the 1-1/2" sashing to the bottom.

I used Crisp ironing spray when I was prepping my fabric and I do not use steam until I have all of the blocks sewn into a flimsy top. I have pressed all of the seams open in this first block.

This will be a fun quilt-along. I'm looking forward to sewing on my Singer every few days, it's such a delight to use. One thing I like about the Singer 201K knee shift is that she sews nice and slow if you want her to. I've got it worked out how I stop sewing with the needle down just about every time now. I have found where I can get a 1/4" foot for her so I'll pick that up this week, even though I will continue with using the seam guide for the scant 1/4".